Ghosts of War
by Gemini14
Summary: When Kira stumbles upon some old relics of a war gone by, he has no idea that this finding could change the war, and turn everything on its' head. But will these changes be for the better? Or the worse?
1. Unbelievable Miracles

Ghosts of War

Chapter One: Finding Unbelievable Miracles

They were in the Debris Belt, near the remains of Junius Seven; a ghostly, yet at the same time, tangible reason for fighting in the war that now raged around them. Kira could only sigh as he and several others focused on getting some much-needed supplies for their ship, the _**Archangel**_.

"_So many innocent people had died here_….._Are we even justified getting our supplies from inside it?_" Kira wondered; almost jumping out of his skin when one of the alarms went off in the Strike's cockpit.

"What is it, kid?" Mu's voice asked, over the speaker. He'd seen the younger pilot start at the sudden noise, and look at one of the panels on one side of the cockpit.

"I'm picking up three signals, Commander…..Looks like mobile suits, but I can't be sure…..The signals are very weak." Kira murmured, as he checked the instruments again to be sure.

"Can't very well ignore that. Let's go see what it is……Might be worth checking out, in the long run." Mu stated; getting a nod from Kira for a response. It didn't take them long to find the source of the signals their machines were picking up; and yet they were still stunned by what the origins looked like. There, just in front of them, loomed three dark, manmade shapes.

"Are they…..Gundams?" Kira mumbled, as he stared at the three mobile suits that floated weightlessly in front of them.

"Good question." Mu muttered; his own eyes taking in the unbelievable sight.

"You mean even you don't know?" Kira again asked, shocked that the officer seemed to be as 'in the dark' as he was!

"Kid, I'm a pilot, for crying out loud! I can't be expected to know every single detail about the Gundam projects…..but I can say this; I've never heard of anyone using the Debris Belt to hide mobile suits. Especially in the shape these three are in." Mu stated, then added, "They've seen some heavy-duty fighting at some point." It was then that Kira could see what seemed to be laser scoring on the armor of the mobile suits; the paint on the armor was burnt and peeled away in some places, and explosion damage could be seen, as well.

"Do you think the pilots are still alive?" Kira questioned, hopefully. He could hear Mu sigh in exasperation, and saw him shake his head.

"I doubt it. These suits look old…..and there's no way to tell how long they've been here. If anything, the pilots are probably well-preserved corpses, by now." Mu murmured, his tone subdued as he thought of that.

"Then don't they deserve to at least be laid to rest with some dignity?" Kira asked, as he sadly gazed at the three still mobile suits. This got yet another sigh from Mu, before he bent under the younger pilot's idealistic and humanitarian views.

"You're going to get the whole lot of killed, kid, if you keep this up." Mu mumbled, as he reluctantly attached a tow-hook onto one of the 'Gundams', and started pulling it back towards the ship.

"_I'm sorry, Commander_……_but something tells me that we can't ignore these three suits_….._or their pilots_….._Even if those pilots are long dead._" Kira mused, as he carefully took hold of the two remaining suits, and made his way back to the _**Archangel**_'s hangar.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"Wow, they look even worse in the light."

Even though they had seen how severe the damage had been from the outside, the hangar lights revealed even more.

"The battle must've been pretty intense, to have damaged armor of this caliber…..Okay! Opening the first suit's cockpit now!" Murdoch announced, as the cockpit slowly opened. They were all shocked and a bit numbed by what they saw within it; there, sitting at the controls, was what appeared to be a teenaged boy.

"Damn…..Poor kid." Mu mumbled, not even turning when he heard Miriallia gasp, and Sai, Tolle, and Kuzzey murmur shocked epithets of their own under their breaths as well. Kira, on the other hand, got even closer.

"Kira!" Sai hissed, trying to rein in his friend before he could do anything foolish.

"Don't be morbid, man!" Kuzzey added, but went pretty much ignored as the stubborn young pilot carefully reached in and checked for a pulse. At first, it appeared that the other pilot was indeed dead, and that nothing more could be done for him; then Kira's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped.

"Kira?" Miriallia asked, when she'd seen the disbelieving look on her friend's face.

"His heart……it's beating! I can barely feel it…..but he's got a pulse! He's still alive!" Kira yelped; wonder and joy warring for supremacy on his young face, at this finding.

"Then call sickbay for some stretchers! Hurry up! If it's true what Kira has said, then the pilot of this mobile suit won't last much longer! Hop to it!" Badgiruel commanded, getting an immediate compliance from the personnel nearest to her.

"Get the next ones open. The other pilots might still be alive, as well." Mu added, as Murdoch did just that.

"Can one of you help me get him outta this?" Kira asked, as most of the attention turned to the next mobile suit.

"Yeah!" Tolle agreed, as he rushed to Kira's side and started helping his friend undo the safety harness from around the other teen's slim body. They both felt it when the pilot flinched, and heard it when he uttered a soft cry of pain; his almost angelic face taking on a slight wince in response to being moved.

"Guys, be careful. I think he's been hurt, too." Miriallia said, as the two boys carefully lifted him from his seat at the controls, and carried him to the catwalk where their companions now stood.

"Wonder why he was piloting that thing? Is he a Coordinator too?" Kuzzey murmured, as he watched Tolle and Kira gently lay the young pilot down on the cold metal floor, and as Miriallia sat down and placed the teen's head on her lap.

"No idea……Those mobile suits look old…..Almost museum quality…..Why would they fly in derelicts like these?" Badgiruel mused aloud, as she gazed thoughtfully at the machines, "_And why do they look so much like_…..?"

"Miri, you're right! This guy's bleeding!" Sai yelped, finally breaking his silence and pointing out the blood that had pooled in the pilot's seat of the old Gundam.

"Put pressure on the wound! Personnel from sickbay are coming." Badgiruel stated, as she kneeled down beside the injured teen, and started searching for the source of the bleeding.

"It looks like the blood's coming from his back. Maybe he got stabbed with something?" Tolle suggested; breathing a sigh of relief when the sickbay personnel finally arrived.

"Possibly. It also looks as though whatever weapon it was that had done this had gone straight through. He's got a wound in his stomach too." Miriallia quietly said; watching as one of the crash teams approached, carefully lifted the teen from the floor, placed him on a crash cart, and started on their work.

"Shit! This guy's in even worse shape!" they heard Mu shout, as the last of the three Gundams was opened, and its' pilot was pulled from within it. The sight that met their stunned eyes almost sickened each and every one of them; almost all over the man's body, deep gashes could be seen. Blood glistened on his torn flightsuit, and dripped down his pale face from a deep cut over his left eye.

"Looks like whatever explosion had damaged the armor, he was the one closest to it." Kira murmured, as he watched one nurse press an oxygen mask onto the injured man's face; inwardly cringing when he heard the pilot painfully inhale.

"And this guy was the farthest. There isn't even a scratch on 'im!" Murdoch said, as he carried another unconscious teen over to them.

"Better get him checked out, just in case. There could be some injuries that we just can't see, because of that dark flightsuit." Badgiruel suggested.

"Right." Murdoch agreed, as he gazed somberly at the pilot he now had in his arms.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Conscious thought had been so much of an elusive thing for so long, that he'd almost given up on it. There always seemed to be a thick grey mist hanging over him; making even the prospect of awakening impossible. It was to his evident surprise that now, the mist seemed to be lifting…..Feeling was returning to his limbs, warmth was reaching his skin, and his eyelids didn't feel as though they were being weighted down with ten pound weights.

"_W-what? Where_….._? W-where am I?_" he wondered; feeling something akin to alarm, when he found that he wasn't in the cockpit of his mobile suit anymore. Vaguely, he could hear what seemed to be people his own age talking between themselves about him, and two others.

"What were they able to find out about their mobile suits, Kira?" one asked, the voice echoing slightly in his skull.

"Just what Ensign Badgiruel had said. They're pre-Cosmic Era…..they might even be After Colony Era mobile suits." 'Kira' responded, the disbelief in his voice very noticeable.

"No way……Y'mean to say that those mobile suits are over a hundred years old and they still work?! How's that possible?" another teen asked; not knowing that his words had caused a jolt to go through the pilot's mind.

"No idea." 'Kira' honestly replied.

"_How? How the hell did __this__ happen?! Is this somebody's idea of a cruel joke?!_" the pilot wondered, as he forced himself to awaken all the way; flinching when the bright lights of the sickbay struck his overly-sensitive eyes.

"Guys! He's awake!" a girl's voice almost shouted, as its' owner appeared before the stunned pilot.

"Hey, how're you feelin'?" one boy asked, as he and his companions gathered around the pilot's bedside.

"Like I've had a colony dropped on my head…..Where am I?" the pilot in turn asked.

"You're on board an Earth Forces battleship known as the _**Archangel**_." Another teen, this one sounding like the 'Kira' that had been speaking just moments before, said.

"I see…..so the war between earth and the colonies has resumed, eh? I'm not surprised." The pilot muttered, bitterly, as he slowly sat up and looked each teen in the eye.

"What's your name? And what do you call the mobile suit you'd been found in?" Kira asked; just as curious as his companions were about this pilot's identity.

"The name's Duo Maxwell. I may run and hide, but I never tell a lie. My 'partner's' name is Deathscythe Hell." The pilot said, calmly.

"Where are you from, Duo-san?" the girl asked, hesitantly.

"The L-2 Colony cluster is where I'd originally come from…..But what's this talk about Deathscythe bein' one hundred years old? He'd looked pretty new to me, the last time I'd looked at him." Duo said, tensely.

"A-re you…..it's original pilot?" another of the teens asked, in turn.

"Yeah, as far as I know. Why?" Duo asked; becoming even more concerned and edgy when the teens exchanged uncertain glances with one another.

"Duo-san……It might be hard for you to believe…..but it's been a long time since you'd last seen the outside of your machine….." the girl said, uncertainly.

"Y'mean to tell me……that it's true? I'm a hundred years in the future?" Duo again asked; his face paling and his mouth drying at the implications of this. The five teens before him nodded.

"Damn…..I never would've thought that something like this could even happen…..Did that explosion cause it?" Duo wondered, aloud, as he lay back down; reeling from the added shock.

"Explosion?" Kira asked; remembering what Mu had said about the damage to the machines' armor, and what he had seen with his own eyes, keenly. Duo nodded.

"During the last battle of the Eve War……White Fang's battleship, _**Libra**_, almost collided with the earth. We barely managed to stop it, but the damn thing red-lined at the last moment and blew up…..That's really the last thing I remember, before waking up here. How the hell could I have possibly survived for so long?" Duo asked, as at a loss to explain what had occurred as the teens in front of him were.

"I think….the doctors may have found out why……When they'd done some tests on your blood to make sure that you hadn't suffered any radiation poisoning…..they found out that, somehow, you've become Coordinators." Kira murmured, almost guiltily.

"Coordinators? What're they?" Duo asked, confusedly, "_What do room decorators have to do with this situation?_"

"Coordinators…..are genetically enhanced humans. They're the ones who're mostly able to pilot mobile suits in this era….." Kira replied, hesitantly.

"Weird……" Duo muttered, then asked, "Have any more been recovered with me?"

"Yeah. But only two, and both of them are in worse shape than you are." A man's voice said, as he entered the sickbay.

"Commander Flaga!" Kira yelped, surprised that the higher-ranking man was even there. At this, Duo only allowed himself a slight, bitter smirk.

"It's as I'd thought. I always was either blessed or cursed with 'good' luck." Duo muttered, then added, "Deathscythe hasn't been scrapped yet, has he?"

"You mean that black Gundam? Not yet. I think there's some talk about actually restoring all three and putting some of the latest tech in them." Mu stated, in an attempt to reassure the shaky teenager before him. This earned him a highly skeptical look from Duo in answer to that, as well as an arched eyebrow.

"You guys must be desperate…..to want to refurbish 'old' Gundams like that! What's it gonna cost me?" Duo questioned, skeptically. At this, Mu only shrugged.

"That's up to the captain to decide, I'm afraid." Mu said, even though a mischievous glint could be seen in his deep blue eyes.

"I was afraid you'd say that." Duo grumbled, irritably. Yet, before anything more could be said, one of the ship's officers entered the sickbay, and nodded to Kira and Mu.

"Duty calls." Mu stated, before he rushed off again.

"Unfortunately." Kira muttered; not looking forward to the next foray into the dead colony at all. He was about halfway into the hallway, when he heard Duo call out after him.

"Wait up. I'm goin' with ya." Duo's voice said, then added, "Show me the way to the locker room. I'm gonna need a flightsuit."

"But you can't! You can barely sit up on your own, let alone stand! How do you expect to fight, as weak as you are?!" the girl asked, as Duo stubbornly got out of bed. At this, she got a slight, devil-may-care grin from the pilot; a smile that made her wonder.

"I've been through a lot worse. Trust me." Duo said, as he willed his body to stand without support, and then made his way to the door.

"So you're gonna fight too?" one of the other boys asked, as he watched Duo leave with Kira.

"Might as well. Let me know when I get back if the other two that were recovered with me wake up, okay?" Duo replied, confidently.

"Will do." The other boy promised, before Duo and Kira started running down the hall towards the locker room.

"_This isn't my war or my time_….._but it looks like I'll be able to still make some sort of difference_……" Duo mused, as he quickly followed Kira into the locker room, put on a flightsuit, and then rushed to the docking bay. Little did he realize just what sort of difference he and the other surviving pilots from his era would make…..but he would soon find out…..

Author's Note!

Very odd crossover, I know, but it's a crazy idea that has refused to leave me alone, since I first read the manga, and started watching the anime. But I need some help! Since I'm not sure what I may be missing that the manga has left out (and I've had very little luck in finding some of the DVDs for SEED), I might need to be filled in on some of the events leading up to the Archangel's descent to earth. Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

Gemini14


	2. Bloody Pasts and Futures

Chapter Two: Bloody Pasts and Futures

Duo had been quite surprised, when he'd arrived in the docking bay. Even though it had barely been a standard day since he'd woken up on board the strange warship, and had been bracing himself for what he would see once he got there, nothing could have prepared him for the surprise that awaited him there.

"Whoa……Somebody put in a helluva lot of overtime on you, old buddy." Duo muttered, as he approached his Gundam, and put a hand to the metal casing on one of the legs. In fact, so much work had been done on the Deathscythe Hell that he couldn't even tell that it had even been through an explosion!

"Better be glad you'd woken up when you did, kid, since the junkers that'd repaired it actually wanted to buy it!" Murdoch laughed, from his seat on one of the other Gundams' shoulders.

"Then I would've taken this ship over and hunted 'em to the ends of the universe to get my partner back! You don't mess with the God of Death and get away with it!" Duo jokingly replied.

"God of Death? Is that what you call yourself, kid?" Mu asked, from the cockpit of his Moebius Zero.

"Yeah. It makes sense, since Deathscythe looks the way he does." Duo said, as he approached the hatch of his mobile suit and opened the cockpit; whistling in appreciation at the workmanship in the overhauled cockpit.

"Sorry for not taking the time to recalibrate the OS for you, since things have been busy around here." Kira apologized from across the hangar, when he'd seen Duo settle into his seat at the controls, and turn on the computers.

"No prob. I'll have 'im ready for flight in a few minutes! Don't wait around for me!" Duo answered, then got right to work; eagerly punching in his personal stats so he could get his Gundam fully functioning again. Kira could only sigh and shake his head in wonder at the other teen's eagerness; was being a mobile suit pilot really as great as Duo was making it look?

"_The way he acts makes me wonder_……_What was the After Colony Era really like? I know that the colonies in his day were persecuted as well_….._But how much, exactly?_" Kira wondered; jumping when Badgiruel's voice startled him back into reality again.

"Wake up and get ready for launch, Ensign Yamato!" Badgiruel commanded, her no-nonsense tone getting a rather interesting reaction from Duo in response.

"Looks like Noin, yet acts like Lady Une……Who shoved a stick up her ass?" Duo mumbled; his words getting a barely stifled laugh from Mu, and a startled 'Huh?!' from Kira.

"What was that?!" Badgiruel snapped, a bit angrily; having heard every word, and becoming even more perturbed when a few more of the crew on the bridge laughed softly at Duo's comment.

"Better get launched, kid, before she comes after you." Mu warned, jokingly.

"Right….." Duo replied; not sounding in the least bit worried about what the woman would say or do when he got back to the ship.

"Mu la Flaga of Moebius Zero, launching!" Mu announced, before rocketing off out of the hangar.

"You sure about this, Duo?" Kira asked, as he gazed uncertainly back at the black Gundam through the Strike's 'eyes'.

"Don't worry so much, Kira! If I wasn't sure about this, then I'd be 'running and hiding' remember?" Duo asked, with a grin, as his face appeared on one of the monitors in the Strike's cockpit.

"If you say so….." Kira murmured, then said, "Kira Yamato in Gundam Strike, lifting off!" When Kira had cleared the hangar door, Duo could only wonder what awaited him in space now; his eyes sobering slightly as his thoughts returned to his fellow pilots from Operation Meteor. Were they really all that remained from that mission? Had he and the other two survived all those years in slumber alone? And what had become of the girls they had left behind? Did they go on with their lives, after the war? Or had the war resumed then, and killed them as well?

"_Guess I'll never know_……" Duo mused, then sighed and gazed strongly forward, "Duo Maxwell in Gundam Deathscythe Hell, ready!" In the back of his mind, Duo knew that he was in for a long learning curve, and that future events could soon prove that he didn't have very much time to take in all of the changes that had occurred during his long sleep…..But it wouldn't stop him from trying to find his place in this strange time, and live on in the memory of his comrades and loved ones.

"_I just hope it's enough._" Duo thought, a bit sadly, as he flew out and waited alongside Kira for the salvage units to emerge from the ship, and begin the process of salvaging some parts from the debris around them.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

The pain was what brought him around. For a few, confused moments, he lay where he was and tried to get his fragmented mind into some form of order. He could sense the confusion and tension of those standing near him very clearly, yet didn't quite understand why.

"_The war is over, isn't it? Then why do they feel so lost and confused?_" he wondered, as he struggled to open his eyes, and look around. At first, he could have sworn that he was on the _**Peacemillion**_ again, yet, when his vision cleared, it was plain to see that this wasn't that ship at all.

"Good to see that you've woken up. We were beginning to worry." A woman's voice said, as its' owner appeared at his side, and smiled gently at him.

"Where…..?" he managed to ask; wincing at how scratchy his throat felt.

"You're on board an Earth Forces ship called the _**Archangel**_. One of the crew found you and two others drifting out there in some mobile suits." The woman replied; reaching out and carefully helping him sit up so she could give him the glass of water she'd brought him.

"I see…..Thank you." He whispered, gratefully.

"No problem. Now, do you feel up to eating something? You'd lost quite a bit of blood, a while ago." She said, once she'd gotten him into a seated position.

"Not really…..I'm more thirsty than anything else." He answered, his voice still soft, yet a little louder than before.

"That's all right." The woman said, comfortingly, as she handed him the glass, and made sure he didn't drink too fast.

"Has one of the other two woken up already?" another woman's voice asked, as its' owner briskly walked into the sickbay and peered carefully around the partition at them.

"This one has." The nurse replied, as she motioned to him for added emphasis. At this, the newcomer smiled and approached his bedside.

"So I see…..It's good to see that you've woken up, kid. I'm Captain Murrue Ramius, of the _**Archangel**_." The second woman said, introducing herself to him as she held out a hand in greeting and smiled warmly.

"I'm Quatre Raberba Winner. It's good to meet you, Ramius-san." He replied, with equal warmth, and shook her hand gently; aquamarine eyes showing both women just what sort of soul lay behind them.

"_Such a gentle and fragile-looking kid_….._How could he have possibly piloted that mobile suit?_" Murrue wondered, as she took a seat beside Quatre's bed; uncertain about what to say to him next, and exactly how to say it, "_And how will he take the news that he's been in suspended animation for a little over one hundred years?_"

"Something's troubling you, Ramius-san……What is it?" Quatre asked, his intuition startling her somewhat, yet she forced herself to remain calm, and then gave him a worried look.

"I…..don't exactly know how I can explain this to you…..without doing further harm….." Murrue murmured, uncertainly.

"Something's different…..This isn't my original time, is it?" Quatre asked, as realization dawned on him as to why things felt so unsettled around him, and as shock appeared on Murrue's and the nurse's faces at this.

"No, it isn't……How could you tell? Is there anything in here that's different from what you were used to?" Murrue questioned, gently. She watched as the teen slowly shook his head, and gave her an almost haunted look.

"No…..It's because…..I can sense that things have changed greatly…..and I can no longer feel……my loved ones' presences. They're all gone….and I'm the only one left." Quatre replied, somberly, as sorrow began to cloud his aquamarine eyes.

"Then you don't know a pilot going by the name of 'Duo', do you?" Murrue again asked; feeling some hope take root when the teen perked up and looked directly at her in shock.

"Duo's here?! He's alive?!" Quatre asked, anxiously. At this, Murrue again smiled.

"Glad to say that he is, even though he'd insulted one of the officers on deck before going out with our pilots on a guard mission." Murrue replied; snickering slightly when she remembered Duo's remark about Badgiruel, and how the officer's hackles had been raised by it.

"Sounds like Duo, all right." Quatre said, with a chuckle and a rueful shake of his head for added emphasis.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Kira jumped, when he heard a loud sneeze over his intercom.

"Somebody talkin' about you, kid?" Mu asked, rhetorically, as they all watched the crew work from their positions in front of the ship.

"Must be. Probably that hard-nosed lady from before……Badger-something-or-other." Duo muttered in response. This comment got a longsuffering sigh from Kira, and a snicker from Mu.

"You'd better hope that she isn't listening in on this conversation, kid. Otherwise, she might find a way to keelhaul you after lights out." Mu warned, goodnaturedly.

"I'm more afraid of an old friend's threats than the worst that lady has to offer! Heero could get downright scary when he wanted to be!" Duo replied, with a laugh; showing that he wasn't in the least bit concerned about what the woman would say or do once he was back on board the ship, yet then turned his gaze questioningly to the dead colony nearby.

"I can't believe that we're doing this…..even if we are at war." Kira murmured; the distress in his tone easily heard by Duo, as they stood guard over the _**Archangel**_'s salvaging crew.

"What exactly is that thing over there, Kira?" Duo asked, curiously.

"That's the reason we're at war now…..It's the remains of the Junius Seven colony." Mu said, before Kira could even think of a response.

"Damn……Must've been one hell of a blast, to have done that amount of damage." Duo muttered, as a faint trace of anger emerged in his voice…..he could guess what had happened, and who had pulled off the attack.

"_Things really haven't changed that much, at all._" Duo inwardly growled; startled from his thoughts again when the equipment in his cockpit alerted him to the presence of an enemy mobile suit.

"Where? Where is it?" Kira murmured, as he glanced around, trying to locate the source of the signals the Strike was just now picking up…..and freezing when he finally saw them, "A civilian ship? What's it doing out here?"

"Dunno….but it looks like it's seen some action….." Duo said, proving that he'd also seen the ship and mobile suit; and was keeping his attention on the latter, in case it turned around and attacked, then asked, "Any idea what that suit near it is, Kira?"

"It's a long-range reconnaissance Ginn." Kira replied, then thought, "_The __**Archangel**__ is immobile_…._If it's discovered now, and reinforcements are called_….._I don't think Duo and I will be able to hold them off for long._" And yet, Kira was shaken from his thoughts, when one of the crew suddenly came from behind one of the larger pieces of debris; allowing his jaw to drop, when Duo reacted to the threat the enemy mobile suit represented, activating his scythe and slicing it in half, before any of them could even blink.

"_Whoa_……" Kira thought, almost too stunned to think of anything else, aside from that.

"That was amazing!" they both heard Mu say, having seen what had happened from a distance, and commending Duo for it.

"Guess being a 'Coordinator' is gonna take some gettin' used to….." Duo muttered; proving that he was just as surprised as they were, by this development.

"_Guess so_……" Kira agreed, even though he could still feel some grief over the death of the Ginn's pilot…..

"Heads up, Kira. Looks like there's a survivor, after all." Duo said, bringing Kira's attention back to the space in front of them. There, despite the intense explosion that had destroyed the Ginn and ship, a lifepod now floated.

"Duo, would you mind staying here, while I get this back to the _**Archangel**_?" Kira asked, his spirits buoyed by the thought of a life that had been spared. From the other Gundam pilot, he got a grin and a slight salute.

"No prob." Duo replied, as he watched Kira move towards the lifepod; now only wondering just what was inside.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Within the space of two hours, the mission to collect the supplies they needed to continue had ended, and Kira had returned to the _**Archangel**_ with the lifepod in tow. As he set it down on the hangar's floor, he could only smile when he heard Duo arrive behind him; chuckling when he heard some rather interesting comments being exchanged between him and Badgiruel.

"_Things are about to get ugly, between those two_….._Wonder if Captain Ramius has the patience for it?_" Kira wondered, as he got out of the Strike's cockpit, descended to the floor, and watched as Murdoch got to work on getting the pod's door open.

"Damn. The fact that a Ginn had come this far to search for the lifepod…..there must be an important ZAFT personage on board." Mu muttered, not liking this situation, in the slightest, as he walked over from where he'd docked, and looked uneasily at the pod.

"Yes." Badgiruel agreed, then glanced at Kira, "You and your lifepods...This is starting to become a habit."

"Up yours'." Duo growled; having caught the disgusted tone in Badgiruel's voice, and allowing his hackles to rise slightly, in response.

"Opening." Murdoch said, calling their attention back to the pod, as the door finally opened with a hiss, and the person inside stood…..and something flew out to greet them.

"Haro!" a small, mechanical voice squeaked, in greeting, as it floated to each member of the crew and seemed to bow politely to them.

"Um…..Hello….." Duo mumbled, discomfited by this, to say the least.

"Thank you so much for your assistance!" a girl's voice then said, cheerfully, as the owner of it finally emerged; not bothered in the slightest by the surprised looks she was getting.

"A girl?" Badgiruel muttered, as she took in the girl's appearance; soft, waist-length pink hair glistened in the docking bay's lights, and bright blue eyes hinted at a kind soul. Then, Kira asked the fateful question…..

"Who are you?" Kira asked, curiously; getting an abashed smile from the girl, and then a polite bow.

"Please forgive me for being so rude! I am Lacus Clyne! It's a pleasure to meet you!" the girl said, pleasantly; her words promptly flooring all of the crew around her…..with the exception of just one. Only Duo seemed truly unfazed by this, since he was still trying to catch up with what was going on around him, now.

"Looks like you've brought another helluva gal aboard, Kira….." Mu said, as he gave the teenager a look that told all of them that he wasn't quite sure he knew what to make of this situation….and that the feeling was shared by his crewmates.

"_Seems like things are really about to get interesting around here_……_Wonder what else the future has in store?_" Duo mused, as he watched the rest of the crew gather around the girl and begin asking her some questions; his mind taking him back to the days when Operation Meteor had just been beginning, and how shaky things had been then…..Seeing some of that uncertainty now, in the events that were unfolding before him.

_**Author's Note!**_

_**This may have been a pretty dull chapter, compared to what I have done before, but I'm trying to pace myself a bit more, than before. Hopefully there will be some more action in the next chapter (and that I can manage a few more surprises, in the meantime!). Hope this was 'all right' otherwise!**_

_**Gemini14**_


	3. Uncertainty and Chaos

Chapter Three: Uncertainty and Chaos

It had only been a few hours since they had received the news that Lacus Clyne's ship had gone missing, and already there seemed to be something going on. Athrun could only sigh, as he listened to the rest of the mobile suit pilots grumble through his intercom.

"Can't even get a decent night's sleep around here, as it is…..And we aren't even in the Debris Belt yet! What the hell have they found that's tripped off all the alarms?" one pilot irritably muttered, as he closed his cockpit and started up his mobile suit's engine.

"Good question." One of the others said, seeming a little less perturbed by the seeming false alarm, and more concerned with what they would find.

"Cut the chatter in there, men, and get ready to launch." Rau le Creuset's voice commanded, as his masked face appeared on the screens in front of them; even though they could hear a hint of the same annoyance they were feeling in his tone, as well.

"Roger that." Athrun finally said, before beginning to prep the Aegis for flight. As they left the hangar of the _**Gamow**_, they could tell that they had just reached the very edge of the Debris Belt; bits and pieces of destroyed satellites, ships and even mobile suits could be seen, tumbling endlessly through space. There had even been the rumor that, many long years before, a legendary space pirate had hidden his base in this forbidding region….and that it was still sighted, from time to time, by those who dared to explore the area.

"_It seems that every person who sets out on his own in space, has the dream of finding it_…._As I'm sure the ancient mariners had hoped to find Atlantis, during their own travels_….." Athrun mused, then sighed and shook his head at himself for daydreaming; berating himself for not focusing on the task at hand. He was jolted even further back into reality, when another alarm went off in his cockpit…..this one being the alert for an incoming attacker. Reacting instantly, Athrun activated the Aegis' weapons, and turned to face the one who had foolishly decided to try and take him unawares. Instead of seeing the sight of an enemy mobile suit or mobile armor, however, he only had enough time to stop what appeared to be a badly damaged mobile suit from crashing into him at top speed.

"What the hell?!" Athrun yelped, as he stared down at the suit he had caught. At one time, it must have been an impressive machine…..but now, it was a sad, blackened shadow of itself.

"Are you all right, Athrun?" Rau asked, via comm-link, since he'd heard Athrun's shocked epithet from the _**Gamow**_'s bridge.

"Y-yeah….." Athrun replied, shakily, as he started typing in some commands to the Aegis' computer; trying to find out if there were any signs of life within the damaged suit, and feeling a hint of surprise when the results proved that there was indeed someone still alive inside it…..though he couldn't say for how much longer.

"Better tell someone to prep the sickbay, since I think the pilot of this thing might still be alive." Athrun stated, as he hoisted the damaged mobile suit onto the Aegis' shoulder, and began the return trip to the docking bay.

"I'll second that motion, since Yzak and I have just found another one." Another of the mobile suit pilots murmured; his normally loud voice subdued by the finding. For a few moments, it seemed as though Rau would refuse to allow this, then he nodded.

"Fine then. Bring them aboard." Rau consented; his mind already trying to work out just where the unknown mobile suits could have possibly come from.

"_And are they what I think they are?_" Rau mused, as he then turned and left the bridge; just curious enough by this discovery to meet with the pilots when they returned to the docking area.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"Whoa….." Dearka muttered, when they were finally able to see just what kind of damage had been done to the two mobile suits.

"I think that pretty much sums everything up, Dearka….." Yzak agreed; too subdued by the sight to be his usual self. The two suits they had brought back aboard with them were, for the lack of a better term, a mess. The one that Athrun had discovered looked as though it had been through the heart of the sun; its' armor blackened from the heat of what could only have been an intense explosion. The other, while less damaged than the first, was still a wreck in its' own right.

"There might be nothing we can do for their machines……But let's at least see if the pilots are both still hanging on." Athrun said, finally; breaking the spell their disbelief had cast on them, and glancing back at the crew for added emphasis. With nods of agreement, the mechanics and engineers then stepped forward.

"Quite a sight to see……I wonder where they'd come from?" Nikol murmured, thoughtfully.

"Good question." Rau's voice said, as he joined them where they stood in front of the mobile suits. This got what could have only been looks of confusion directed at him from the four pilots; even their superior didn't know?

"They look almost like what I'd heard two of the most famous machines from the After Colony era had looked like……" Yzak said, his eyes narrowing as he gazed at the severely damaged suits, and remembering what he had learned in that long-ago history lesson.

"Y'know, now that you mention it, they do look a little bit like 'em……" Dearka agreed; jumping when the first of the suits was finally opened, and the man uttered a cry of shock, then watched when Athrun immediately dove in and started trying to loosen the restraints from around the pilot.

"What is it, soldier?" Rau asked, as he rushed over to see what was going on, with Dearka, Yzak, and Nikol right on his heels.

"Better see for yourself, sir….." the man replied, as he moved aside and let Rau see what it was that had startled him. And Rau himself could only feel a certain degree of numbness, when he laid eyes on the pilot; the man in question couldn't have been much older than himself, and had long, platinum blond hair and pale skin.

"Sir…..Is this….?" One of the other men started to ask, yet went silent when Rau leaned in to help Athrun lift the badly injured pilot out of the cockpit.

"I'd say that it is……" Rau murmured, thoughtfully, as they brought him out, and laid him onto a stretcher that had just been pulled out; listening as the second mobile suit was quickly opened, as well.

"_Welcome aboard the __**Gamow**__, Lightning Count_….._Zechs Merquise._" Rau mused, as he gazed at the unconscious and bloodied features of one of the most famous, and feared, men of the Eve War; an unreadable smile appearing on his own face, as he then turned and walked off…..yet not leaving the area before pulling some of the mechanics aside, and giving them the orders to repair the two suits. After all, they were going to be needing them, weren't they?

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

It was the grumbles of discontent, and feelings of resentment that made him force himself to his feet, and limp out of the sickbay to see what was going on.

"There goes the daughter of ZAFT's top dog." One man growled, from a little ways away; making Quatre look up and around. It didn't take long for him to locate the one presence that was new amongst those that felt semi-familiar, yet could only feel a little confused, when he felt how gentle it was.

"Dammit! It's thanks to her kind, that Heliopolis is gone!" another man grumbled, angrily; the sheer hatred in his voice making Quatre wince. Even though the feelings weren't being directed at him, the strength of the emotion was enough to make him feel as though he were about to pass out from it.

"_Shouldn't_….._have left_….._the sickbay_….." Quatre thought, painfully, as he then leaned against a wall and started gasping for breath; his face paling even further when the move sent pain stabbing through him, from the wound in his abdomen. Yet, the next thing he knew, was that someone was yelling, and that he was feeling a cool hand touch his forehead.

"You don't look well, at all. Are you all right?" a girl's voice asked; prompting Quatre to look up at her. To the Gundam pilot's surprise, he was now face-to-face with the newcomer on the ship; her bright blue eyes darkening in concern, for his wellbeing.

"What're you doing up?" one of the people near the girl added, as two more men (whom Quatre could only guess were soldiers) also looked concernedly at him.

"It sounded like…..someone was angry about something…..So I came to find out why." Quatre replied, simply; hiding the fact that he had actually sensed it first, before he had heard anything. At this, the other teenaged boy in front of him actually grimaced, and directed a vaguely pained look to the rest of the people gathered in the hallway.

"It'll take too long to explain….." the teen sighed, yet paused when he saw the comprehension appearing in Quatre's eyes, and when he nodded in grave understanding.

"I saw the same kind of hatred, a long time ago…..I didn't think time would really change how the earth feels about 'colonists'." Quatre murmured, somberly, as he sat down against the wall and breathed a pain-filled sigh; his expressive blue-green eyes dulling at the thought.

"'Colonists'?" the girl asked, confusedly; first giving Quatre a befuddled look, and then the other teen.

"Another part of that long explanation, I'm afraid." The teen said, as he then kneeled down beside Quatre and gave him a worried look, "Think you'll be all right here? I need to finish escorting Clyne-san to her room, then I'll help you get back to sickbay."

"Yeah." Quatre replied, softly; in too much pain to really move much further on his own, and physically drained from having to shield himself from the intensity of the emotion he was picking up from the rest of the people on the ship.

"I have a suggestion….." the girl said, her voice getting both boys' attention (and that of the guards) back on her again.

"What is it?" the teen asked, as he worriedly glanced at her, and then back at Quatre again; noticing how much paler Quatre now looked.

"Well…..It isn't too much further to my room, right? Maybe you could bring him with us, and I can keep an eye on him?" the girl suggested, that comment getting a number of reactions from those around her; from the guards and the teen, genuine surprise, and from Quatre, shock and even a hint of embarrassment.

"I…..I wouldn't want to be…..an inconvenience…..Clyne-san…." Quatre said, as he struggled to get to his feet; grimacing when the effort rewarded him with fiery pain through his abdomen.

"Hold on!" the teen yelped, when he saw Quatre begin to topple over; just barely catching him, before he could fall. And it was with genuine worry that the girl reached over and placed her hand on Quatre's face again, and gave those around her an almost helpless look.

"His fever's rising….." the girl whispered.

"Looks like we're going to have to go with your suggestion, after all. We can't move him very far, in the shape he's in." one of the guards murmured, as he gingerly lifted Quatre from the floor and began carrying him in the direction they had been going, until then.

"Sorry….." Quatre managed, weakly, as consciousness began to desert him again.

"Don't worry about it, kid. Just get some rest." The guard replied, as he began moving down the corridor again; not really realizing the stir this particular move would cause, in the long run.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"This is completely unacceptable! Do you have any idea just what sort of trouble this could cause?!"

Murrue could only sigh and rub her brow in vague irritation, as Badgiruel went off on another tirade. Word had just reached them of Quatre leaving sickbay, and ending up in the same room with Lacus Clyne…..and it was enough to send the unyielding ensign into a frenzy.

"Seems somebody needs a rabies shot….." Duo muttered, under his breath, as he listened to the furious woman's outburst.

"I somehow doubt rabies would cover it, Duo." Muu mumbled, from his reclined position in a seat nearby.

"You're right about that…..How about euthanasia instead?" Duo softly asked; sincerely wishing for a miniature version of his beam-scythe right about now, and hearing it when Muu tried to cover what could have been a laugh behind a cough, at that comment.

"I heard that." Badgiruel snarled, as she turned and gave the both of them the evil eye.

"More power to ya." Duo retorted, nonplused by the scathing glare she was giving him, and actually boldly making eye contact with her (and giving her the finger) as he said so.

"_Things can only go downhill from here_….." Murrue thought, as she listened to the whispered conversations going on around her, and how this problem had divided them cleanly down the middle, "_No wonder Kira-kun had been so eager to escort Clyne-san to her cell_…."

"Ensign, I don't think this is really helping matters any. And Duo, please don't antagonize her any further." Murrue sighed, as she gave both of them a longsuffering look.

"Where's the fun in that?" Duo asked, even as a mocking look appeared in his eyes, when he'd made eye contact with Badgiruel again.

"I think calling this 'fun' is going a little overboard, at this point…..but the fact that, of all people, we had stumbled across Siegel Clyne's daughter….To be honest, it's put us in a jam." Murrue murmured, as she finally succeeded in breaking up the near-brawl between the pair.

"Yeah. And according to her, the memorial service troop ship was attacked by Earth Forces. Naturally, we'll be the ones to blame." Muu added, even as Duo muttered something about a 'sacrificial lamb' under his breath, before leaving the bridge to go find the room where Lacus Clyne was being held, and check on Quatre.

"B-but it hasn't been determined yet if it really was the earth forces that had attacked that ship!" Badgiruel tried to argue, even though the expressions on Muu's and Murrue's faces spoke louder than words…..and it proved that they agreed with what Duo had said, wholeheartedly.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Kira could only look on in concern, as the other two guards got Quatre settled, and as one of them left to go and get some cold water and a cloth to help deal with his fever.

"This really doesn't look good for him, does it?" Lacus asked, as she took a seat beside the ailing teen, and gently brushed some errant strands of hair off of his face.

"No, it doesn't." Kira agreed, watching as the remaining guard gave Quatre a sympathetic look, as well.

"This poor kid's fever is so high, that we might have to call sickbay later to move him back there." The guard said, then glanced at Lacus, "You sure you can handle this, until then?"

"I'll do my best." Lacus replied, as a determined expression appeared on her gentle face.

"Then we'll trust you with this much." The guard said, then left the room as well; leaving only Kira standing there.

"I'll come by with some food in a little while…..Until then, if you need anything, just use the intercom." Kira murmured, then glanced at Quatre with some uncertainty in his eyes.

"Don't worry. I won't let your friend die, I promise." Lacus said, when she'd seen the honest worry for the blond teen in Kira's expressive blue eyes.

"You'll take care of him, even though you're on an earth forces ship?" Kira questioned, surprised by the Coordinator girl's determination and undeterred strength in the face of such odds. At this, Lacus only smiled.

"We're all human beings, aren't we? Why shouldn't I help him?" Lacus replied; the genuine warmth from her voice and eyes touching Kira's battle-weary soul in a way that could very well effect the rest of his life…..if he would let it.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

All on the _**Archangel**_'s bridge jumped, when one of the communications officers noticed a badly broken-up transmission trying to get through to them.

"What is it?" Murrue asked, almost relieved by the distraction, and the fact that it had broken the tense silence that had followed after Duo had left.

"We're receiving an Earth Forces encryption pulse! It's…..it's from the Eighth Fleet!" the communications officer said, in response, as he turned up the volume, and the ghostly sounds became audible to all of them.

"…….._Flagship_….._of the Eighth Fleet_….._Mont_….._mery_….._Archan_….._reconnaisance_….._attacked_……_ZAFT ships_…._assistance_…._requested_…." the voice pleaded, the urgency in it sending a chill down each of their spines...More specifically, down the spine of one crewman in particular, when he recognized the voice.

"_That voice! It's Flay's father!_" Sai silently yelped, in alarm. His fiancee's father was in the line of fire, right then!

"We'd better go ahead and launch the Zero, Strike, and Deathscythe Hell." Muu said, seeming to have picked up on Sai's thoughts, and getting a ready agreement from Murrue as a response.

"Go to it!" Murrue said, giving the pilot an immediate go-ahead. Time was of the essence, and lives were on the line…..but would they get there in time make a difference?

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Duo skidded to a halt, when he heard the alarms start blaring, and knew that the ship was going into battle-readiness.

"_Is there an attack goin' on? If so, then where?_" Duo wondered, as he ran back down the hallway towards the locker room; narrowly avoiding running into one of the guards in front of Lacus Clyne's room.

"What's going on? What's the hurry?" the guard asked, confusedly.

"I was about to ask you the same question." Duo muttered, then looked aside when the door opened, and Lacus curiously stuck her head out to look at them.

"What's happening?" Lacus questioned, innocently; her wide blue eyes showing only concern and curiosity about the goings-on in the ship.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Duo replied, then glanced past her into the room, when an odd feeling reached him…..the impression that she wasn't alone in there, as he had initially thought. And he was proven right, second later, when he saw another, more familiar person open his eyes and look his way. What he'd heard while on the bridge had been right!

"Quatre?! What're you doin' out of sickbay, man?!" Duo asked, as he entered the room, and kneeled beside the bed where his friend now lay. At this, the blond-haired boy could only manage a weak smile.

"I….could ask you the same…..but I guess you always have been the luckiest of the five of us." Quatre softly replied; reminding Duo of the fact that, no matter what situation he'd found himself in, in the past, he'd always somehow managed to get out of it relatively unscathed. At this, Duo couldn't help but allow a slight abashed grin to appear on his own face.

"Of course! You're talkin' to Maxwell's Demon, after all! I've always had the devil's luck!" Duo stated, with some of his usual bluster in his voice, as he said that.

"True enough." Quatre agreed; not realizing that his friend was giving him a relieved look, when he'd noticed that just this conversation alone was returning some of the light to his eyes.

"And maybe some of that luck might rub off on us, while we're out there." Muu's voice said, as he and Kira appeared at the door, and they each gave Duo a speculative look (even though Muu's had a hint of some humor in it, stemming from Duo's comment about good luck).

"Shit. Just hearing you say that, means we're heading from the pan and straight into the fire. Am I right?" Duo asked; his expression deadpanning when Muu and Kira both nodded.

"It isn't exactly…..any different…..from Operation Meteor…..had been." Quatre murmured; surprising Kira with the fact that he knew somewhat what was going on now.

"You've got a point…." Duo sighed, then looked at Kira and Muu again, "Ready to fly when you are."

"Then let's get launched." Muu said, then started leading the way towards the hangar again; none of them realizing just what sort of tragedy was waiting just around the bend…..

_**Author's Note!**_

_**After a bit of a hiatus, here's the newest chapter! Hope it wasn't too boring (or confusing), and there should be some more action in the next chapter! Please let me know how I'd done with this, okay? (And if there's any inconsistencies that need fixing!)**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_

_**Gemini14**_


	4. Into Confusion

Chapter Four: Into Confusion

Within moments, all three pilots were ready to fly. And yet, before they could leave the locker room and make their way to the hangar, Flay rushed in; her eyes filled with panic.

"Kira! Sai's just told me that my father's on that flagship! You've got to save him! Please!" Flay cried, with genuine fear for her father in her voice, as she spoke.

"I….I promise he'll be all right, Flay." Kira stammered; startled by this bit of news, and even moreso by what Duo said next.

"Don't make promises you might not be able to keep, Kira. Even though, from what I've seen so far, Coordinators are incredible pilots, we're still….you're still….only human." Duo grimly said, then looked directly at Flay, "We'll do the best we can, but there's no guarantees."

"Just do what you can!!" Flay nearly shouted; her eyes lighting up with some anger, at the braided boy's words.

"And with that said, kid, let's get out there!" Mu said, breaking up the potential shouting match before it could really get started, and urging both teens to hurry and follow him into the waiting battle.

"Right behind ya!" Duo agreed, as they all started running. With a swiftness neither of them knew they had, Kira and Duo both found themselves in their Gundams' cockpits, readying themselves for the fight ahead.

"_What Duo had said makes a lot of sense_….._But still_…._I'd like to believe that I've got the strength to protect_…._and that I'll be able to save Flay's father_…." Kira thought, even though he could tell that previous experience haunted his newfound friend like a ghost.

"Okay, Kira, you're clear for launch!" Miriallia said, over the comm-link.

"Right! Kira Yamato in Strike Gundam! Taking off!" Kira shouted, in response, before making his way out.

"Duo! You're next!" Miriallia then said, and got a grin from the Eve War veteran.

"This Shinigami's ready, Miri!" Duo replied, then added, "Duo Maxwell in Gundam Deathscythe Hell, heading out!"

"Shinigami….." Badgiruel muttered, under her breath, as she shook her head in bewilderment. She would probably never understand Duo…..and that was how he preferred things.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Meanwhile, at the battle that was already under-way, Athrun could only wonder just what the commander was thinking. Not only were they participating in a battle that seemed to be wasting their time, he and his comrades had a new pilot fighting alongside them for the first time.

"You sure you're all right over there, Trowa?" Athrun heard Nikol ask, almost echoing Athrun's concern, exactly.

"No need to worry about me. I can handle this much, at least." The other pilot replied, calmly. And so far, he was. Despite having been recovered from space just a standard day or so ago, (as well as having been awake for only half of that time) he and his mobile suit, Gundam Heavyarms, were already taking down their fair share of enemy fighters.

"At this rate, Yzak, he's gonna top your kill rate in no time!" Dearka jokingly said; getting a scathing glare from his comrade, in response.

"_Though I still find it strange, that he'd agreed to this_…._and with almost no questions on his part_…._Was the Eve War really as similar to this war, as that?_" Athrun wondered, before he gave the Aegis the command to transform, and prepare to fire it's Scylla.

"Cut the chatter over there, men! Take down those ships!" Rau's voice commanded.

"Yessir." Trowa answered, readily, and the rest of the pilots responded as well.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"Damn! Shot down by our own weapons! Embarrassing!" Flay's father growled, angrily, when he saw the fiery death of one of the escort ships, thanks to Athrun's shot, then commanded, "Shoot the Aegis down! Do whatever it takes to take it down!"

"Sir! Vice-Minister Allster! You must get to a lifepod at once!" the captain of the _**Montgomery**_ yelped, when he saw what the high-ranking official had missed; one of the mobile suits was heading their way…..but it was one none of them had ever seen before.

"Nonsense! I can't leave now, especially under these circumstances!" the vice-minister stubbornly replied…..before the worst finally came to pass. The unknown mobile suit forced its' way through their last line of defense, opened its' chest plates…..and opened fire; tearing the command deck of the ship to shreds, as it did so.

"_Flay_….._please forgive me_….." the vice-minister silently thought, before the inevitable explosion ripped through him and the rest of those on deck; silencing him forever.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

For the first time while on board the Earth Forces ship, Lacus was feeling fear. Not for herself, mind you; far from it…..Her fear was for the boy known to her as Quatre. Up until just moments before, he'd been sleeping quietly, if a bit fitfully, on the bed before her. Now, he was writhing in agony; crying out in pain, as he gripped his chest…..Tears flowing freely down his cheeks, from underneath tightly closed eyelids.

"Quatre-san! Quatre-san, wake up! Please, wake up!" Lacus pleaded, as she struggled to calm the pain-wracked teen before her. She could only feel a hint of relief sneak its way into her heart, when she heard the door open behind her, and when another girl suddenly appeared beside her.

"What is wrong with him?! What's happening?!" the other girl asked, as fear emerged in her eyes about what she was seeing, and the state Quatre was in now. His whole body was soaked in sweat, and his skin was almost burning hot to the touch. Blood stained the bandages over his stomach, a subtle hint that his wound had reopened again.

"I don't know! He was calm until just moments ago!" Lacus replied, as she then stood, rushed to the intercom, and tried to call for help.

"H-hurts…..This pain…..my body…..and soul….." Quatre sobbed; shuddering as another onslaught wracked his slender frame, and forced the other girl to reach out and try to console him.

"Shh, calm down. Take it easy." She said, soothingly, as she brushed one hand against Quatre's fevered brow; starting somewhat when he turned his face towards her, opened his eyes, and gave her an unbelievably sad look, through the pain he was evidently feeling, both physically and spiritually.

"I'm sorry…..so sorry….." Quatre whispered, sorrowfully, as more tears began to form in his eyes, when he saw her, and seemed to realize who she was.

"'Sorry'? Sorry for what? What do you have to be sorry for?" the girl heard herself ask; taken aback by this sudden, unexpected apology.

"Y-your father…..Kira-kun, Duo, and that other man…..They couldn't…..fly fast enough…." Quatre replied, painfully.

"No….." the girl before him muttered, before leaping to her feet and racing out of the room.

"Wait!" Lacus shouted, yet was prevented from following her, when Quatre called out to her.

"W-we must…..follow her…..Please help me…." Quatre gasped, as he forced himself to sit up; grimacing from the effort of doing so, seconds later.

"Right….." Lacus agreed, as she reluctantly helped him get to his feet; inwardly reminded of another stubborn boy she knew so well, as she did so.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

The first thing he'd felt had been confusion. Where the hell was he?

"_I know I'm not in my mobile suit anymore_….._and from the sounds of things, I'm in a ship's sickbay_….._But I can't tell who this ship belongs to. Is this an Alliance battleship? Or does it belong to OZ in some way?_" he wondered, as he slowly opened his eyes; wincing when the light shown into them.

"Well, it seems you've decided to remain with us, after all. Commander Creuset has been hoping you would." An unfamiliar voice said, from close by; prompting him to look in that direction, and give the stranger a questioning look. The man before him seemed to be the sickbay's chief medical officer, from what he was able to tell, just from the man's uniform alone…..But the uniform itself was vastly different from what he had been used to seeing, before.

"W-where…..?" he started to whisper, yet stopped when pain lanced across his chest; giving him the subtle hint that most of his injuries were centered there….and he had no idea how serious they were.

"All will be explained in time, Lightning Count. For now, just rest. Commander Creuset will explain everything later." The medical officer reassured him, before consciousness began to fade from around him again.

"_At least they seem to know who I am_…._but something doesn't feel right about it. What's going on here?_" Zechs Merquise wondered, before he finally relinquished his hold on awareness, and slipped into the painless darkness again. He therefore didn't feel it, when the medical officer took a sample of his blood, and sealed it in a tube…..and didn't realize just what this would do to his already questionable future…..

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"Wh-what is this?!" Kira heard himself mutter, when he, Mu, and Duo arrived on the scene.

"What a massacre." Duo mumbled, as he glared at the destroyed ships floating there before them, then silently added, "_And if I didn't know any better, I'd say that some of this looks like __his__ handiwork_….."

"Got that right…..Kira, Duo, go ahead and pull back. Tighten the defenses around the _**Archangel**_." Mu said, yet bit back a curse, when the Strike suddenly flew off on its' own; ignoring his orders completely.

"Kira! Get back here, you dumb-ass! Don't go it alone! Hey!" Duo shouted, in aggravation, before beginning his pursuit of the younger pilot, "This is no time to try and be a hero!"

"Damn…..Why did I get stuck with trying to keep these two out of trouble?" Mu growled, as he also rocketed off after them; almost sensing Duo's irritation at this situation, as he did so, "_I'm nothing more than an over-glorified babysitter, at this point!_"

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

He'd 'felt' them before he saw them; reacting instantly, when a familiar presence crossed his senses, and that it was following an unfamiliar presence onto the battlefield.

"_Duo?_" Trowa wondered, bewilderingly, as he looked up and around, and then dodged just in time to avoid a shot from a beam cannon.

"The Strike…..and….what the hell?!" Athrun yelped, over the comm-link, when the two mobile suits in question appeared before him, and he'd spotted the unfamiliar suit, as well.

"'Hell' being a literal term for the second one, Athrun." Trowa murmured, then tried calling out to the black mobile suit in front of him, "Deathscythe Hell, do you read me? Over!"

"Trowa, I thought it was you! Didn't know you were still alive as well, man!" Duo's voice replied, after a few moments, before his face appeared on the Heavyarms' viewscreen; his eyes filling with relief and some uncertainty, when he saw his old comrade again for the first time in one hundred years.

"I would say the same of you, yet it seems that your luck has always held through thick and thin." Trowa said, dryly, then asked, "What are you doing out here, and why are you involving yourself in this war?"

"I was wantin' to ask you the same thing. Why're you fightin' with these 'ZAFT' people, anyway?" Duo questioned; knowing without even looking, that his and Trowa's conversation had brought the other mobile suits (including those of Kira and Athrun) to a standstill; all of them curious about where this conversation was heading.

"Do you really need a reason? Everything we had fought for before is long gone, Duo. We're nothing more than redundant soldiers, searching for a suitable battlefield to die on. That's all." Trowa murmured, grimly, yet seemed surprised when Duo glared at him.

"That may be, but I'm not ready to give up yet. I'll find my place in this time, no matter what." Duo growled, stubbornly; barely even looking aside, when the battle between the Strike and Aegis began again in earnest, yet activating his beam-scythe and holding it at ready, when the Blitz, Buster, and Duel began to close in around him and Trowa.

"_Count on him to be so stubborn_…._but I guess it'll take quite a bit of stubbornness, in order to survive in this era._" Trowa mused, as he gazed at the Deathscythe Hell, thoughtfully; wondering just how far Duo's strong will would carry him, this time…..

_**Author's Note!**_

_**Okay, not sure if this chapter had made any sense, but I'm trying to get back into writing in this story again! Hopefully this was 'all right'!**_

_**Gemini14**_


	5. Strong Wills, Stubborn Spirits

Chapter Five: Strong Wills, Stubborn Spirits

The feelings of confusion were overwhelming, as Quatre and Lacus made their way to the _**Archangel**_'s bridge.

"Quatre-san, don't you think you should slow down? Your wounds are bleeding even worse than before." Lacus murmured, worriedly, as the blond-haired boy stubbornly willed himself to stay on his feet. She could feel the blood soaking through the sleeve of her blouse, as she supported him as best as she could.

"We need…to get there….We might be….the only ones….who can save this ship….from the ambush…." Quatre gasped; grimacing slightly with every move he made, yet somehow maintaining a tight control over the pain itself….a strength that made even Lacus wonder.

"_The more time I spend with him, the more I'm reminded of Athrun_…._There's so much spirit in his eyes, even though he's so badly hurt_…." Lacus mused, as they arrived on the command deck, and took a good look around.

"What the…..? What're you two…..?" Badgiruel started to say, when she'd noticed them arrive on deck, and as the pair floated over to a better vantage-point, so they could see what was going on.

"My daddy…..my daddy's ship…..gone….." a girl's voice sobbed, piteously; prompting Quatre to look in the direction it had come from. From where he stood, Quatre could sense the horror and devastation the girl now felt over the loss of her father….and could remember very clearly when he had felt the same way, over the death of his own father. Without another word, he approached her, and held her close; settling her head on his chest, so she could hear his heartbeat.

"Let…..let me go…." Flay whimpered, as she tried to force her way out of his embrace, yet stopped when her struggles only seemed to hurt him further.

"I know how it feels…..I lost my own father in almost the same way." Quatre murmured, quietly.

"You did….?" Flay whispered, taken aback by this, for some strange reason. Quatre nodded.

"Yes. And it was a loss that drove me to madness…..I nearly killed a good friend of mine with it, as a result….." Quatre quietly said; remembering only too well what had happened then, and what it had taken to bring his humanity back…..his eyes getting an even more pained look in them, when he noticed one of the mobile suits in the distance.

"Quatre-san?" Lacus yelped, when the boy suddenly collapsed again; prompting both girls to try and catch him before his head hit the floor.

"Call sickbay and tell them to send a crash cart up here as fast as they can!" Murrue commanded, actually leaving her seat, when she noticed that Quatre's wounds were bleeding even worse than they had been before.

"S-so much blood….Why is he losing so much blood?" Flay asked, looking up with tears still in her eyes, when Lacus gently yet firmly moved her hands to where the blood-soaked bandages were, and helplessly watched as the Coordinator girl placed them there.

"I don't know, Flay-san, but we've got to try and slow it down….Put pressure on the wounds….it might help till the doctor gets here." Lacus said, doing all she could to keep Flay calm, despite what was happening before them.

"_T-trowa_…." Quatre somehow managed to think, as his consciousness faded from around him, and the doctors finally arrived on the scene; hurriedly picking him up, when they saw what condition the Eve War veteran was in, and rushing back the way they had come.

"_You survived too_…."

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

And it was this barest whisper of thought, that almost made Trowa freeze in mid-motion; noticing when Duo also froze.

"Quatre…." Trowa murmured, sounding shocked that the other teen's thought had reached him.

"Anything wrong over there, Trowa?" Nikol asked, breaking the spell that one moment had cast over the HeavyArms' pilot, and bringing him back to reality.

"No. Nothing's wrong. Just focus on the battle at hand." Trowa coolly said, in response, before beginning his attack on the DeathScythe Hell.

"Right!" came the almost unanimous response from the trio, before they flew off away from them. And with everything he had, Duo just barely managed to hold the Heavyarms off.

"_Shit! I never imagined that just trying to keep from being turned into mincemeat would be this difficult! Did they upgrade Heavyarms during the lull?_" Duo wondered; hearing it when three more enemy fighters emerged and started flying towards the _**Archangel**_, and immediately pulling back from his fight with Trowa.

"Duo! Where are you going?" even Trowa himself had to ask, when he'd seen his usually fiery friend turn away and give chase to the trio of mobile suits that were getting closer to the ship.

"You may not think I have any business fighting in this war, Trowa, but while I've got an injured friend on that ship who can't fight for himself, I'll fight for 'im." Duo replied, coolly; his tone of voice telling his former comrade that there already was someone he would fight to protect in this time….and Trowa was only able to watch, as the Deathscythe Hell took down its' enemies with ease.

"Ensign Barton, what are you just standing around for? Have you taken any hits?" Rau asked, almost startling Trowa back into reality again.

"No sir." Trowa replied, immediately.

"Then keep your mind on what you're supposed to be doing." Rau commanded; his irritation easily heard, since he had also seen the destruction of the three mobile suits from his place on the _**Gamow**_.

"Yes sir…." Trowa almost reluctantly agreed, as he then turned to try and locate his former friend, and seeing him floating defensively in front of the other ship, "_I suppose we'll soon see how long you'll be able to stand by your beliefs, Duo_…."

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

And the situation was just as uncertain on the main deck of the _**Archangel**_. Murrue and the rest could only stare for a few moments, as the Deathscythe Hell took up a position between them and the rest of the mobile suits; his speed and strength a surprise, considering how short a time that he had been with them.

"Captain! Enemy ship has been sighted!" one of the crew yelped, when something began to emerge from behind the debris of the shattered escort ship nearby. Immediately, the main deck seemed to come back to life, as something akin to panic emerged within some of the ensigns.

"Their guns are locking onto us!" the same crewman added, a few moments later; turning to his superiors for anything they could do in this situation.

"Kira Yamato, Duo Maxwell, come back at once!" Badgiruel shouted into a comm-link, once she had also noticed that the enemy ship was getting ready to fire on them.

"Oh shit! That thing had been hiding from us the entire time to lure us into this!" Duo shouted, once he was also aware of the ship, yet was unable to do anything, since he was still holding off the Heavyarms and at least two others.

"Emergency retreat!" Murrue finally shouted, "Get the Strike, Deathscythe, and Zero back on board!"

"There's no time for that!" Badgiruel replied, before hurriedly activating the communications system, tuning it to their enemy's frequency, and then calling out to the enemy ship, "Attention to ZAFT ship! We currently have Miss Lacus Clyne aboard this ship, the daughter of Siegel Clyne, Supreme Council Chairman of the Plant!"

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

And the shock at these actions was even felt on board the _**Gamow**_, and the mobile suits, when those words had been heard.

"By chance, we happened upon her lifepod, and took her in for humanitarian purposes….If you continue with your attacks, there's no guarantee that she can be kept safe." Badgiruel's voice continued, almost desperately; her words getting some strong reactions from all who heard them.

"_This is proving interesting_….." Rau mused, as a slight smirk appeared on his masked face at this turn of events.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Upon the announcement that Lacus was on board their enemies' ship, all of the ZAFT mobile suits seemed to freeze in place.

"Interesting hole the Badger-lady has just gotten us into…." Duo grumbled, his words unexpectedly getting some snickers from a few of the other pilots as well.

"Got that right…." One of the others agreed, most of them turning to look, when Athrun shouted angrily at Kira.

"It must be a dirty trick! And even if Lacus is on board that ship, is this what your sense of justice has become, Kira? You would fight alongside such treacherous company?" Athrun asked, furiously.

"I could ask you the same question, Duo." Trowa added, when it seemed that Kira wasn't going to answer Athrun's questions; giving his old friend a speculative look, from his seat in the Heavyarms' cockpit.

"Simple. These people rescued Quatre and me, I pay back my debt and protect Quatre who's still hurt." Duo replied, easily, even though his expression told them that the reason was much harder to explain than he would openly admit….

"_So Quatre __is__ on board! But what about this other presence I feel? There's another of us on board, but is Duo aware of him too?_" Trowa wondered, as the tense standoff continued; barely feeling the other familiar presence as they sat there…

vvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Flay could only watch helplessly, as the sickbay personnel did what they could to help Quatre; not even noticing that the blood on her pale hands was starting to dry.

"Is he going to live?" Flay asked, her voice barely being heard, amidst the raised voices of the doctors, and the equipment they were using.

"He'll be fine, once we get that bleeding stopped, and the wound taken care of." One of the doctors replied; surprisingly having heard the softly-spoken question. After that, everything happened in what seemed to be a whirlwind; leaving the shell-shocked Flay standing there watching.

"_He's a Coordinator, and yet_…._I feel scared for him_…._Why? It's not like I know him very well! But_…." Flay mused, as her mind drifted back to what Quatre had told her back on the command deck, and remembered his efforts to comfort her….

"_It hadn't seemed like he was lying_…." Flay added, a few moments later; subconsciously stepping back, when a nurse rushed past her. It was then, that something seemed to reach out to her, almost a feeling that there was someone else there….Someone who didn't quite belong, yet had to be there nonetheless. With that eerie feeling traveling up and down her spine, Flay slowly turned around and looked. At first, all she noticed was an almost empty sickbay, then she saw the other occupied bed….Slowly, she started approaching it. From what she was able to see, aside from the bandages and IV drips, was that the man before her seemed to be in his early thirties, had pale skin, a handsome, aristocratic face, and tousled chestnut-brown hair. He also appeared to have been fairly athletic before whatever had happened to him, happened….at least, from what Flay could see under the sheets and bandages, at any rate….

"What…? Is the battle….over…? L-libra….Oh God…..Libra is about to fall!" the man painfully moaned, startling Flay out of her shock just enough to get her to reach out to the injured man in an effort to comfort him.

"N-no….no it isn't. Please, calm down!" Flay murmured, as the man began to become more aware of her, and his surroundings; his deep blue eyes finally settling on her face, and further captivating her.

"Who….are you?" the man asked, his voice soft and pained, as he struggled to calm down; shuddering at the memories that had rushed into his mind the moment he'd regained consciousness.

"M-my name is Flay Allster…." Flay answered, feeling some hints of shock, when the man didn't show any signs of recognizing her last name, "Who are you?"

"I….am called Treize….Kushrenada….and it is a pleasure….to meet you….Miss Allster." The man painfully replied, with a very slight smile and a polite nod, never once realizing that his own name had frozen Flay right in her tracks. Not only did the _**Archangel**_ have the daughter of the Supreme Council Chairman, but the infamous leader of OZ had also somehow come to be there….but how had he survived?


End file.
